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Apple Watch - workout app freezes

On my new cellular Nike AppleWatch, the workout app is stuck or very slow. It opens but I can’t scroll through workouts. Sometimes after a minute it moves but for all practical purposes it’s locked. I had a series 1&2vand never had this issue.


The only fix/workaround I have found is a) restart the watch b) force quit the app. It then works again but the Problem quickly returns.


Any Ideas? Thanks in advance.

Apple Watch Series 3, watchOS 4.1, Nike Watch, Cellular

Posted on Nov 8, 2017 4:29 PM

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Posted on Dec 17, 2017 10:26 AM

I'm having this exact issue with my Apple Watch Series2... Whenever I'm launching the workout app - Doesn't matter if I do it from the "widget" or from the app menu. I get the Workout main screen but the screen is unresponsive for ~30secs. After that time it works just fine... Until when I'm finishing my workout. Again when I swipe right to get to press the finish workout I get another period of unresponsivenes...


I've tried to factory reset both - My iPhone 7 and my Apple Watch but nether did anything to the issue... What ***** that this is pretty new issue - can't remember that this was an issue ~month ago...

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Dec 17, 2017 10:26 AM in response to greg06611

I'm having this exact issue with my Apple Watch Series2... Whenever I'm launching the workout app - Doesn't matter if I do it from the "widget" or from the app menu. I get the Workout main screen but the screen is unresponsive for ~30secs. After that time it works just fine... Until when I'm finishing my workout. Again when I swipe right to get to press the finish workout I get another period of unresponsivenes...


I've tried to factory reset both - My iPhone 7 and my Apple Watch but nether did anything to the issue... What ***** that this is pretty new issue - can't remember that this was an issue ~month ago...

Nov 9, 2017 3:32 AM in response to greg06611

Hi


Whilst I can't say why that is happening, the following steps may help:


Close certain apps and restart both your iPhone and your Apple Watch:


If the issue persists, next unpair and re-pair your Apple Watch:


If the issue still persists, then I suggest that you contact Apple Support (remote diagnostics and/or mail-in service may be available, if required), make a Genius Bar reservation or visit an Apple Authorised Service Provider for assistance:


Jan 14, 2018 4:34 AM in response to greg06611

Hi.


I’ve been having the same issue on Watch series 1 ever since the se ond or third OS4 update.


With my situation though the first time I load the app nothing happens. It then crashes after about 30 to 40 seconds. I then load again and this time it usually works straight off.


Doesn’t matter if I load from the app screen or the dock. I already had the dock set to favourites so that didn’t make any difference.


I’ve not tried unpairing and repairing yet but given that this is a very recent flaw I would suggest it is a software fault.

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Mar 2, 2018 3:05 PM in response to greg06611

It's becoming pretty apparent that Apple don't know how to fix this, so I am resigned to using the following workaround whenever I want to use the Workout app:


  • Press the side button and scroll to the Workout App. Swipe it towards the left and press the 'X' to close it.
  • Re-open the Workout app and it should work normally.


This procedure wastes about 10 seconds, whereas letting the Workout app crash and restart seems to waste at least a minute.

Nov 9, 2017 5:44 AM in response to Jonathan UK

Trying option #1, I’ll let you know. Thanks.


Force quitting the app or restarting watch worked for me before but the issue keeps on returning, so I’m not optimistic. I reached out to Apple via Twitter support and they only recommended unpair/new setup.


Hope I don’t have to re-setup the watch, that’s a long, painful process. Especially setting up as new, that takes a long time to get it just right.

Jan 2, 2018 11:22 PM in response to greg06611

Still struggling with the issue... Don't know if it sheds any light, but I noticed that it's the first start of the Workout app thats sluggish... And in the matter of fact it seems that nearly every app that I launch for the first time In the watch behaves nearly the same: Apple Music, Shazam, Reminders, Mail - Get the pattern? Every app takes a ton of time to load... Feels more like watchOS1 then watchOS4 that supposed to improve the launch times of watch apps.

Jan 3, 2018 6:41 AM in response to Carl0s-

I have seen that occasionally as well, but not that often. Mostly the apps launch fairly quick.


But for me, the workout app is consistently sluggish (for months now) and requires a force quit to get back to normal. Then it works ok (after a relatively quick reload) but the sluggishness comes back the next day (or time I use it). On my older watches, it was always great, which it needs to be - cant wait minutes to start a workout.


I tried everything, unpairing, setting up a new watch, resetting my iPhone even. In doing all this I lost years of health data because my backup was corrupt!

Jan 4, 2018 3:00 PM in response to greg06611

Although I am not sure its completely solved, it has been better the last few days (just as I was going to take it to the Apple Store)


One thing I tried was setting my dock to favorites vs recent and make sure Workout was there.


I thought I had that setting before I restored but can't be sure. But for the last two days, it has been more responsive.

Jan 17, 2018 6:08 AM in response to Carl0s-

i have the exact same issue. whenever i open the workout app, it freezes for ~30 sec or so and then finally start to work.

all the rest of the app are a bit slower after the 4.2 update but still acceptable.
while the workout has become almost impossible to use.

i know have to anticipate and open it a couple of minutes before my workout which is ridiculous.
i hope there will be a fix for this as it's very annoying

Jan 30, 2018 3:59 AM in response to greg06611

Have you tried switching off the "Detect Gym Equipment" setting in the Workout section of the Watch app on the phone?


(You can also switch it off in the Settings app on the Watch - in the General/Workout section)


I am not 100% sure yet but it seems to have helped in my case...


(And I am not sure why it was switched on in the first place)


Hope this helps

Marcin

Feb 2, 2018 10:21 AM in response to greg06611

Add me to the list of people with this same problem. Mine locks up for 10-15 seconds on the first launch in a day... then will run fine through my workout. But when trying to relaunch the app the next day - I get the freeze. It's almost like it's trying to load itself back into ram. Very frustrating when trying to sync to start running with the treadmill starting.

Apple Watch - workout app freezes

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